Oil and gas separator



June 30, 1942. E. c. KOPP OIL AND GAS SEPARATOR Filed-Jan. 9, 1940 E EI- 3 Sheets-Sheet l W BY June 30, -1 942.

c. KOP P OIL AND GAS SEPARATQR Z Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1940 June30, 1942. 5, KQPP 2,288,245

' on. AN GAS SEPARATOR Filed Jan. 9, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Maw PatentedJune 30, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OIL AND GAS SEPARATOR EdwardC. Kopp, Fort Worth, Tex. Application January 9, 1940, Serial No.313,045

1 Claim.

.This invention relates to oil and gas separators of the type employed{or the treatment of fluids,

the provision of a method including apparatus capable of effecting suchseparation by the in troduction of the infiuent'under pressure directfrom the well into a container in a spiral or circular motion andconducting the combination through a series of bafiles and channels tosubject the influent to a scrubbing action tending to break down thegaseous component and separate the latter from the heavier oilconstituents which are deposited in the lower portion of the containerand subsequently delivered to storage.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a method andapparatus whereby the maximum separation of gaseous constituents fromnewly produced petroleum can be accomplished by subjecting the productto severe turbulence and extensive scrubbing action to liberate all ofthe fighter constituents from the product,

allowing the gaseous particles to be discharged in a substantially drystate while salvaging the maximum of oil from the influent anddelivering the same to storage substantially free of the lightervolatile constituents.

Broadly, the invention seeksto comprehend the provision of a method andapparatus for carrying out such method which includes an assembly ofelements capable of breaking down and dividing out the gaseous particlesof the influent combination in the most economical manner permitting theheavier or'oil constituents to be delivered to storage without the morevolatile constituents which are conducted upwardly and thence tostorageor otherwise disposed of.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects willbecome manifest as the description proceeds taken in connection with theappended drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus forming a part of theinvention. A

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the apparatus.

Figure 3 illustrates a plan view of the uppermost deck taken on lines3-3 of Figure 2 illustrating the gas discharge outlet into the dischargechamber thereabove.

Figure 4 shows a lateral cross-section taken on lines 4-4 of Figure 2illustrating an arrangethe deck 9 providing a shallow chamber or commentof baflles and restricted passages in the concentric arrangement ofannular comparttration of the apparatus showing portions cut away toillustrate the internal arrangement of concentric cylinders and passagesas well as the horizontal decks and indicating by arrows the passage ofthe influent therethrough.

The apparatus herein described is designed in some respects similarly tothe device shown and described in applicants Patent No. 2,163,095, datedJune 20, 1939, and some of the features herein disclosed appear in saidLetters Patent.

It is pointed out, however, that the instant disclosure includes a novelmethod for treating the marily of a container I in the form of a tankinfiuent to efiect a satisfactory separation of the constituents as thesame are passed through the apparatus. 1

The preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the method hereindescribed consists prihaving a base 2 and preferably a dome top 3 in thecenter of which is provided a gas outlet 4. The bottom 5 of the tank Iis also preferably concave and a drain outlet 6 is connected therein, asshown in Figure 2, which passes through the small compartment formedwithin the base 2.

Inlets I are arranged in each side of the container I, as shownparticularly in Figures 2 and 5, over which are provided diverters 8formed preferably of tubing at approximately a 90 angle and directedparallel with the walls of the tank I, as shown in Figure 5, and havingtheir outlet ends a beveled to approximately 45 to direct the influentagainst the inner circular walls of the tank .I, in a manner to behereinafter described. A horizontal deck or floor 9 is arrangedimmediately above the inlets I and the diverters 8 and a-cylindricalbaflle l0 depends therefrom and extends downwardly a substantialdistance below the diverters 8, as shown in Figures 2 and 8. Anotherfloor or deck H is arranged parallel with and a short space abovepartment between these members. This arrangement is also illustrated inFigures 6 and '7. Another deck I2 is disposed near the top of the tank Iabove which is formed a gas discharge chamber I3 in the upper portion ofthe container I.

concentrically arranged within the tank I is a central cylinder I4having a closure I5 at its lowermost end and closed at its uppermost endby the deck I2 forming a .primary chamber IS. The cylinder I4 extendsthrough both of the decks 9 and II and depends below the lowermost endof the cylindrical baille I0 and forms an annular space therein, asillustrated particularly in Figure 2, through which the influent mustpass upon entering the chamber IS in the manner which will behereinafter described.

Another cylinder I7 is concentrically arranged between the cylinder andthe inner walls of the tank I and extends vertically between the decksII and I2, the latter members serving to close the upper and lower endsof the chamber formed between the cylinders I4 and I1, and sucharrangement results in the provision of yetanother chamber I8 betweenthe inner wall of the tank I and the cylinder II.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be noted that chamber I6 and conduct theconstituents upwardly and helically toward and through the restriction0, past the baflle 22 in the opening 23 and into the circular raceway orchannel 2| externally of the chamber I6 in the direction oi. the arrowsshown in Figures 4 and 5.

In the path of the influent circulating through the raceway or channel2| is positioned a baflling arrangement 21 consisting of a partition 28having a vertically elongated port 29 therein, the latter being providedwith a hood 30 having inclined walls, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 8,terminating in an elongated opening 3I providing a restricted passagefor the influent and baiiling the same. A shield or baiile 32 isarranged around the opening 3I- in the hood 30 and is formed 'in such amanner as to direct the influent inwardly toward the opening 3| by itsinwardly converging walls which terminate in close relationship with theopposingly inclined walls of the hood 30 and provide a substantiallynarrow space entirely around between the inabove the deck II a partitionI9 extends tan- I gentially from the inner cylinder I4 and Joins thewall of the cylinder I1 at b and an elongated vertically arrangedpassage 20 forms a communication between the primary chamber I6 and thechamber 2I between the walls I6 and II. A baille 22, substantiallyS-shaped in lateral cross-section, is arranged within the elongatedopening 20 restricting the same ate, in the manner illustrated in Figure4, and whose function will be presently described.

Another vertical partition'23 extends tangentially from the wall of thecylinder I! in a manner similar to that of the member I9, which servesto partition the outer chamber I8 and at once provide for the reversalof the flow of influent through the apparatus by providing anotherelongated vertical communication 24 between the compartments I1 and 2|.

Another vertically arranged baiile 25, substantially S-shaped incross-section, and similar to the baifle 22, is arranged within thecommunication 24 in such a manner as to restrict the passage at d in asimilar manner to the restriction c in the opening 20.

As the influent is introduced into the tank I it is directedcircumferentially around the wall of the latter by the diverters 8 andthe heavier constituents are deposited in the bottom of the containerI'after contacting the cylindrical baflle I 0 while the liberatedgaseous constituents are passed upwardly in the same helical coursewithin the baflle I0 and conducted into the primary chamber I6 throughtangentially disposed conductors 26 in the lower portion of the cylinderI4 within the baiile I0, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 5. Theconductors 26 are directed oppositely from the diverters 8 and thuseffect an abrupt reversal in the spiral course of the constituentswhich, as illustrated by the .arrows in Figures 5 and 8, is introducedin an anti-clockwise movement but upon entering the chamber I6 isreversed.

The conductors 26 are opposingly arranged preferably on each side of thecylinder I4 and while their outer ends-are squared the discharge ends-eare preferably beveled in order to direct the influent toward thecircular walls of the ner restricted perimeter of the baflie 32 and thehood 30, admitting. the passage of a certain amount of the influenttherethrough.

Thus, as the gaseous constituents, in their passage through the channel2|, pass through the baflle assembly 21 a certain amount of oil may besegregated therefrom and allowed to drain to the deck II and thencethrough conductors 33 on to the lowermost deck or oil pan 3 and thenceto the 'lower end of the container I through a drain tube 34 extendingthrough the deck or oil pan 9.

* Each of the drain conductors 3 3 is preferably directed rearwardly ofthe path of th influent, as shown in Figure 6, and provided with shields35 arranged along the surface of the deck II and extending over thedrain conductors 33 to prevent a suction through the drain conductorsoccasioned by the rapid movement of the influent along the raceways 2Iand I8. It is desirable to arrange such an assembly on each side of thepartition 28 at each of the baiiling assemblies 21,

the first of which is arranged beneath the shield 32 in front of thepartition 28 while the second is preferably arranged immediately behindthe partition 28, as illustrated in Figure 6.

A similar baflling arrangement 21 is positioned in the path of 'theinfluent near the end of the outer raceway I8, as shown in Figure 4, andis also provided with the drain conductors 33 with their shields 35arranged in the same manner as those previously described andillustrated in Figure 6. The last bailling assembly 21 is positionednear the louvered outlet 38 in-the uppermost deck I2 through which thegases are discharged helically into the discharge chamber I3 and areallowed to pass out-through a substantially inverted T-shaped baflle 31and the outlet 4- in the top 3 of the tank I.

It is desirable to position others of the drain conductors 33 and theshields 35 therefor at spaced intervals along each of the raceways I3and 2 I, as illustrated in Figure 4.

As the liberated gases are conducted into the primary chamber I6, in themanner previously described, much of the oil will be separated therefromwithin the chamber I6 and permitted to drain to the bottom of the tanEIthrough the drain tube 38 in the bottom I5 of the cylinder I I,particularly upon coming in contact with the baflle 22 within theopening 20 between the primary chamber I6 and the raceway 2I. The oilseparated from the gases passing into the raceways 2| and I8 is allowedto pass through the drain conductors 33 on to the pan 9. and thencedownwardly through the drain tube 34 to the bottom of the tank I.

The .infiuent, being introduced under pressure, moves rapidly in ahelical course and, by reason of the restricted passage 0 in the opening20 between the chamber l6 and the raceway 2|, a jetting effect isaccomplished whereby much of the oil is dissipated from the gas. Theturbulence and agitation thus created is enhanced by the bafliingassembly 21 in the raceway 2| and by the abrupt reversal of thecircularmotion of the influent as the same is jetted through the restrictedpassage d in the opening 24 between theraceway 2| and the channel I8thereby liberating an additional quantity of the oil from the gases.

A final scrubbing is accomplished by the baflle assembly 21 in thechannel I8 just before the gases are discharged upwardly and helicallythrough the discharge chamber [3. It is desirable to continue thecircular and helical movement of the gases upwardly through thedischarge chamber in order to subject the same to a maximum scrubbingoperation. The oil deposited in the lower portion of the container I isdelivered to storage through the outlet 39 which is provided with a hood40, as shown in Figure 2.

While the foregoing description is directed to a. preferred form of theinvention and seeks to convey a comprehensible design and application ofthe invention, certain changes and modificathe spirit and intent ofv theinvention provided such changes and modifications fall within the scopeof the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In an oil and gas separator comprising a tank having an oil and gasinlet and outlets and diverters at the said inlets, multiple horizontaldecks arranged in the said tank forming a gas outlet chamber in the topof the said tank, a central compartment and an oil pan, a cylindricalprimary chamber arranged in the said tank and adapted to depend belowthe lowermost of the said decks and having its bottom closed, acylindrical baffle surrounding the lower end of the said primary chamberin the vicinity of the said dlverters, tangential inlets in the saidchamber within the said baflle, a cylindrical partition definingconcentric chambers having narrow vertical communications therebetweenarranged in the said central compartment and having vertical bafllespositioned in each of the said communications restricting the same, eachof the said baflies being curved laterally of their longitudinal axes,and a louvered communication between the'outermost of the said channelsand the said gas outlet chamber.

EDWARD C. KOPP.

